Match-safe.



W. G. MONK.

MATGH SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1908.

940,344. Pater lted Nov. 16,1909.

Mimesses. 2 :25?

WILLIAM Gr. DTONK, OF SYRACUSE, NEVI YORK.

MATCH-SAFE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application filed August 27, 1908. Serial No. 450,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. MONK, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Match-Safes, of which the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in match safes and refersmore particularly to a receptacle in which an entire box of matches maybe placed in such manner, that the greater portion of the box andmatches, therein, are concealed, leaving only a small portion of thematches exposed where they may be removed one at a time as desired.

The primary object is to obviate the necessity of removing the matchesfrom the original box in which they are packed and replacing them in amatch safe, where only a limited number may be obtained at a time.

A further object is to simplify and reduce the cost of manufacture ofthe match box receptacle, and also to enable it to be more quickly andeasily assembled without the use of separate fastening means.

Other objects and uses relating to the specific parts of the receptaclewill be broughtout in the following description.

In the drawingsFigure l is a front elevation of my improved match safe.Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views, taken respectively on lines 2-2,33 and M, Fig. 1.

This match safe is adapted to receive and retain an ordinary paste-boardmatch box -1- and preferably comprises a back piece 2, a box shapedfront piece -3- and a base portion 4, all of which latter parts 2-, 3and -I are made of thin sheet metal, such as aluminum or equivalentmaterial.

The back 2 is substantially rectangular in form, with the exception ofan ornamental top, and is provided with elongated slots -5- and -6,located at intervals, a short distance from the side and bottom edgesthereof, for receiving suitable on the front and bottom pieces 3- andlpresently described. The front -3- is also substantially rectangular ingeneral outline and provided with rearwardly bent integral flanges 7- atsubstantially rightangles to the main body and of uniform dimensions tohold said main body a uniform distance from the back, when the rearedges tongues of the flanges abut against the front face of the back.The rear edges of these flanges -7 are formed with lntegral tongues 8,corresponding in number and loca- P tion to the elongated slots *5 inthe back piece, through which said tongues project, the protruding endsof the tongues being bent laterally against the rear face of the back tofirmly lock the front and back together against relative movement. Thissection 3- is of less length than the back -2- and when assembled in themanner just described, upon the back piece, with the tongues 8 passedthrough the elongated slots -5 and 6, its lower end terminates somedistance above the bottom edge of the back piece, and the centralportion of the lower edge of its front side is cut away or recessedupwardly at 3, a sufficient distance to form a finger opening throughwhich the finger may be inserted to enable the operator to withdraw amatch from the bottom of the box 1 when the latter is resting upon thebottom of the section -t-, as will be hereinafter described.

The front section 3 is open at the top and bottom and together with theback piece 2 forms a vertical guide of sufdimensions to easily receiveand ficient lnner conceal the greater portion of the match box 1-, whenthe latter is resting upon the bottom section l-. This bottom section isalso provided with integral tongues 9-, two of which are passed throughthe elongated aperture 6-, while the remaining tongues are passedthrough corresponding tongues or apertures -5- in the lower end of theback piece 2, the rearwardly protruding ends of said tongues being bentlaterally against the rear face of the back to firmly lock the sections2 and -4ttogether.

The upper side of the base section tis open and of slightly greatertransverse width than the width of the superposed section 3, the lowerend of which projects into or telescopes with the upper end of thesection -l, the latter forming a continuation of the guide and supportfor the match box -1-. This section -lis provided with a bottom, sidesand front, the bottom serving as a support for the match box, while thecentral portion of its front and adjacent portions and bottom are cutaway, forming a recess 10- in vertical alinement with the finger openingin the bottom edge of the front piece 3- and extending rearwardly onlypart way through the bottom of the section t to receive the thumb andpermit the operator to readily grasp a match between the thumb andfinger and remove the same without displacing other matches from thebox. In order that the matches may be thus removed. one at a time, thesection -t is made of greater depth from front to rear than that of thesection 3, that is the front side of the section 4 projects beyond thefront of the section a distance substantially equal to the thickness ofa match, so that when the match box l is resting upon the bottom of thesection 1 some of the matches therein, will gravitate toward the frontsection 1 and lie across the front side of the opening 10 on the bottomthereof, where they may be readily grasped, one by one, between thefinger and thumb and removed through the open space intervening betweenthe front sides of the sections 3 and -4lthereby limiting the number ofmatches which may be withdrawn at a time, to one or at least two.

it will be observed that the lower end of the section -3- and upper endof section itare formed with tongues which are registered with eachother and inserted through the slots *G which in this instance, arepractically twice the width of the slots 5, or of suflicient width toeasily receive the corresponding pairs of tongues, which are passedtherethrough and are clenched in opposite directions upon the rear faceof the back piece 2.

Aside from the match box 1, the entire match safe comprises only threeparts, the fastening means, as the tongues 8 and 9, being integral withtheir respec tive sections 3- and -t and only re quire slight bendingafter they are inserted through their corresponding slots 5- and 6- tofirmly lock all of the three parts together, making a unitary structurefor the reception of the match containingbox -1.

In operation, the match box 1-, which may be of any desired form orsize, corresponding to the shape of the receptacle, which receives it,is placed with the matches therein, into the upper open end of thereceptacle until it rests upon the bottom of the section the open sideof the match box, facing the front of the receptacle so that when inoperative position, the matches in the lower part of the box will bevisible and accessible through the recesses in the front- 1 sides of thesections 3 and t, While the remaining portions of the box and matchestherein, will be concealed within said receptacle. 'lVhen the match boxis placed in position in the manner just described, any one desiring amatch may readily grasp the same between the finger and thumb in therecesses in the front sides of the sections -3 and l and Withdraw thesame upi 'ardly from the intervening space, the remaining matchesgradually precipitating 011 to the bottom of the section 4tand acrossthe recess 10*, as they are removed one by one. When the match box l isemptied, it may be readily removed from the top of the receptacle andreplaced by anotl er full box, thereby obviating the necessity oftransferring the matches from the box to the receptacle.

The upper end of the back piece -2 is extended some distance above thecorrespoi'iding end of the section 3- and is provided with an aperture1l for the reception of a nail or other fastening means, by which theentire device may be secured to or hung upon the wall or other availablesupport.

hat I claim is A match safe comprising a back section having each sideand the bottom marginal portions thereof each provided with a pluralityof slots, a flanged front section arranged against the front face ofsaid back section, said flanged front section having its flanges formedwith tongues extending through the slots of the side marginal portionsof said back section whereby said front section is secured to the backsection, said front section having the lower end thereof cut away in acurvilinear manner, and the bottomsection having side flanges and abottom flange, said bottom section overlapping the front section andpositioned against the front of said back section, the flanges of saidback section provided with tongues extending through the slots of themarginal portion of the bottom of the back section and one of the slotsof each of the side marginal portions of the back section whereby thebottom sec tion is connected to the back section, said back section cutaway to provide a flaring opening and further having its bottom flangecut away in a curvilinear manner.

It witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August1908.

VILLIAM G. MONK. lVitnesses H. E. CHASE, CAROLINE MoCoRMAoK.

